


The Broken

by Akemicho



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Awkward Romance, Boss/Employee Relationship, Eventual Romance, Eventual Sex, Eventual Smut, F/M, Falling In Love, First Love, Friendship/Love, Hange Zoë Being Hange Zoë, Love Confessions, Male-Female Friendship, Mentioned Mikasa Ackerman & Eren Yeager, Mentioned Sasha Blouse, Nonbinary Hange Zoë, POV Armin Arlert, POV Connie Springer, POV Female Character, POV First Person, POV Jean Kirstein, Romantic Friendship, Slow Build, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:34:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27544675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akemicho/pseuds/Akemicho
Summary: A cadet named Lexi Sayers falls in love with the mysterious Captain Levi Ackerman, will he return the feelings?
Relationships: Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 5





	1. The Fall

I stared at him, this beautiful man that I had come to know. He was my captain, my superior. Yet somehow, I had found myself falling for him, despite the cruelty of this world. I loved him. The man with the raven black hair and steel grey eyes. That man that had killed numerous titans and was not afraid to protect those he cared about. The man I had never seen smile for he had lost so much. Captain Levi was the man I had fallen in love with. As I watched him quietly, I studied his face. He never let his guard down, he never showed his emotions, he dedicated his heart numerous times. Yet in this moment, he looked exhausted. Like somehow all the life had been drained out of him. He had lost his mother, his close friends, his commander and his uncle. And I guess even he had a breaking point. Sometimes people forget he is human, sometimes people forget that he has feelings just like any other. But in this moment, he finally let his walls down. Tears welled up in my eyes as I continued to study him. I had come there to see if he was alright and it was clear to me, he was not. Suddenly there was a thud, and a clank. I jumped and was startled out of my trance. Captain Levi was on the floor, shaking from head to toe, his swords had dropped to his sides. That is when he screamed and pounded his fist on the floor.  
‘Damn it!!” He screamed out. And that’s when I saw the wetness on his face. Tears were streaming down and hitting the floor softly. I had never seen this man, my beloved captain, ever break down like this. This world was cruel and yet somehow, he managed to remain strong. Until now.  
‘Captain? I murmured softly. I lifted up my candle to see his face better. He had bags under his eyes, his hair slightly disheveled, his cravat wrinkled. He continued to sob heavily. I don’t believe he heard me for he did not acknowledge my existence.  
“Captain Levi?” I said once more, only to still be met with the sounds of his weeping. I moved closer, unsure of how close I could get to him. This man that I loved, humanity’s strongest soldier sat in front of me, me of all people showing a side of him that no one else had seen. I gently set the candle down and sat beside him, my heart racing from being so close to him. I slowly put my hand on his shoulder, unsure of how this would be received. Suddenly a hand shot up and grabbed my wrist, Levi glaring at me for a moment before realizing who it was. Recognition slowly came upon his face and he slowly took his hand off my wrist before allowing me to place it on his shoulder.  
“I’m sorry,’ he whispered, his voice strained. I could feel the wetness of his tears on the palms of my hands.  
‘Shh its ok, ‘I whispered back, my heart beating even faster.  
‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I couldn’t save them…I couldn’t save them…’ he sobbed. Tears began to well up in my eyes for seeing the man I loved in pain like this. How long has he harbored these feelings? How long has he bore this burden alone? Too long it seemed.  
‘Captain, can I…’ but before I could finish my sentence, to my surprise, he laid his head against my chest. My heart was pounding so loud at this point I’m sure he could hear it. My cheeks began to flush red from the sudden closeness of him. I could feel the warmth of his body, could see the muscles strained beneath his shirt. I had longed for this moment for so long, but not like this. I timidly put my hands around him as he continued to sob quietly. And when he did not move or try to push me away, I figured this was ok. I held him as he continued to weep for what felt like hours. I did not care, the man I loved was in pain and I wanted to be there for him. My heart ached seeing him this way. I did not know what else I could possibly do for him, other than just be there for him. My hands were trembling from being so close to him, the heat in my cheeks intensified. I wanted to tell him how I truly felt about him, how he was more to me than just ‘humanity’s strongest soldier. I wanted to tell him I wanted to be with him no matter what was to come.  
‘Lexi,’ a voice whispered. I jumped and it took me a minute before I realized where the voice came from…It came from his voice. I looked at him only to realize he had stopped crying and was staring directly into my eyes. I could not help but shyly look away.  
‘Captain Levi, I’m…. I’m….’  
‘Call me Levi,’ he murmured. He was close, too close. I could smell his scent, could feel the heat off his body. His muscles had become less tense. He had stopped shaking and was still looking at me intently. I slowly removed my hands from around him, suddenly feeling awkward. But before I could fully pull away, he grabbed my hands again. He studied them, before he did something that I never thought he would do. He gently pulled me into his chest. I could hear his heartbeat, and mine was pulsing fast. I never thought that this could happen. That after secretly loving this man for a long while now, that he could possibly feel this way about me.  
‘Lexi, he whispered in my ear. He was so warm and inviting, his muscles were so strong. I felt safe in his arms. I felt like I was being shielded away from this cruel world we lived in, but in that moment nothing else mattered to me. I was here finally with the man I loved. I could have stayed like this for all eternity.  
‘Lexi,’ he said one more time ‘look at me. Don’t be afraid.’ He placed his finger under my chin and titled my head up. I started shaking and my flesh felt like it was on fire. His face was coming closer, I could see his lips and feel his breath hot on my face. I looked into his eyes at last and could see…I could see confusion. As if he was not sure if this was the right thing to do. But as quickly as it started, it stopped. He stopped himself just a few inches shy from my lips. I was disappointed. He gently pushed me away and folded my hands together.  
‘Im sorry, I can’t do this,’ he said beneath his breath. Almost as if he were speaking to himself. He quickly and quietly brushed himself off, got to his feet, picked up his gear and left. But before he left, he turned around and gave me one last glance. I returned his glance with confusion in my eyes.  
‘I’m sorry,’ he murmured one more time before I watched him leave. I sat there unsure of what just happened, I covered my face with my hands. I began to silently weep, I felt as if I had just been punched in the stomach and had the breath knocked out of me. The man I loved, did not love me back after all.


	2. Back to Basics

I sat there for what felt like hours, and maybe it had been. I was not sure I had lost track of time. I sat there hugging my knees to my chest, my insides feeling numb. I had no desire to get up or do anything, but I had to.  
‘Lexi??’ I heard a voice whisper my name. I looked up to see my friend Iris staring at me with big brown concerned eyes. I quickly wiped away the tears from my face and tried to look as nonchalant as possible. I stared up into the concerned brown eyes of my friend. Her name was Iris and she and I had been friends since the joining the Survey Corps.  
She continued staring down at me with her short blond hair covering her face. She could always tell my moods; she was a very perceptive person. What she did not know was how deeply in love I was with Captain Levi. But there were a couple times I had let slip how I really felt about him, and she almost caught on immediately. What she also did not know was where I was going to be last night. I had saw Captain Levi coming back from a mission and I had followed him to see if he was ok. He had seemed distressed.  
“Hey Iris,” I replied quietly.  
“Lexi what’s wrong? Why are you just sitting in the captain’s office?” She asked with concern in her voice.  
‘Nothing is wrong. I’m perfectly fine.’ I replied not very convincingly.  
“Mhmm,’ Iris mumbled sounding not convinced. ‘Come on, let me help you up. We must report in before our morning duties. And look at you! Your face is all blotchy, your eyes are red like you’ve been crying…’ Iris stopped mid-sentence as if realizing something. ‘You’re such a bad liar Lex. You have been crying and this does have something to do with the captain. Tell me what happened.’  
‘There is nothing to tell Iris. So just drop it.’ I muttered solemnly.  
‘Fine, I’ll drop it for now. But I will figure it out eventually. I always do.’ Iris replied with a smile in her voice. ‘But first let us get back to the barracks so we can get you changed into your uniform. You know our squad leader doesn’t like us to be late.’  
We quickly hurried back to our room and I quickly washed my face, trying to erase the sleeplessness and the sadness from my eyes. I put on a clean button up white shirt and pulled on my beige pants. I hurriedly polished my boots and slipped those on just in time. I hurried to my place in the line for role call and assignment of our daily duties.  
“Look alive soldiers, we have a lot to do today I will be giving out your assignments for today. Sayers, you will be on stable duty today. Off you go, get to it.” Barked our squad leader.  
“Yes ma’am!” I jumped forward and did my best salute and took my leave. I was perfectly fine with stable duty today. It would give me sometime to think on the past 12 hours and not have to interact with humans today. Sometimes it was nice just to be alone with the horses, they did not speak back, and I could talk with them all I wanted without them getting annoyed. They knew all my secrets and I knew all theirs’.  
I grabbed my supplies and headed off to where the horses were. It was a beautiful day, which seemed odd to me since it did not befit my mood. The sun was shining through the trees, I breathed in the fresh air and as I exhaled, I could see my breath. The weather was getting colder, winter was upon us. I slowly trudged my way up to the horse’s stables, not in any hurry to get there. I looked up at the sky and noticed how clear of a day it was. I could hear the birds singing and I could hear the horses as I got closer to the stables. I finally arrived at the stables and immediately went to my favorite horse. She was brown and white mare named Annabelle, she was gentle and quiet. She saw me coming and stared up at me with her big black eyes. She started sniffing at my coat and I knew what she was searching for. I quickly reached into my coat pocket and pulled out a big shiny, red apple.  
‘Hey Annabelle, hey there girl. You want this apple? Here you go.’ I gently held at my hand as Annabelle gobbled it up. I gently patted her on the neck and caressed her nose. ‘I wish I were a horse. Life would be so much easier, wouldn’t it?” I stated out loud. I sighed and continued petting Annabelle. ‘Well at least you will not reject my feelings, will you?” Annabelle looked at me and sniffed my hand as if looking for more apples. I chuckled softly, ‘sorry girl, I have no more apples.’ I gave her one last pat on the neck and decided to take a short rest in the hay. I yawned, not realizing how tired I truly was. The hay was warm and inviting on this cold day. I stretched and closed my eyes. I will just rest here for a minute. I thought to myself. As I laid there, my mind began to wander. I began to remember back when I first joined the corps.   
My name is Alexandria Sayers, Lexi for short. I grew up behind the walls with the desire to explore the outside world. I was not satisfied with just accepting that there were no other humans left besides us. Thus, I enlisted into the military in hopes of joining the Survey Corps. I knew about the great many casualties that had endured in the last few years, but I did not care. It seemed like no one else was going to take a stand for humanity, so I wanted to be that person. I am not brave, I am not a fighter, I just want to help people. So, I thought if I could join the Survey Corps that maybe I could help just a little bit. I thought a little bit would be better than nothing.  
And thus, I joined the Survey Corps. I was one of the older recruits in my training corps. And three years passed by very quickly. I was not ranked in the top 10, so I was not able to join the Military Police. So, it was either the garrison or the survey corps, so I chose the survey corps. I was not the strongest or the fastest in my cadet corps, but I was smart. I always got high marks in the classroom. I wanted to contribute; we were asked the night of our joining if we would dedicate our heart. I did my best salute, and I pledged my heart for humanity that night. I have not looked back since. But ever since that day, I felt a change inside of me. I could not pinpoint it until recently. The feeling I was feeling was a desire inside me. A desire for something that was out of my reach. I remember the day that I met him. The stoic, beautiful, man named Levi Ackerman.  
It was a few days after I became a full-fledged Survey Corp member, I had come to join rest of the Survey Corps at the Survey Corps headquarters. It was there I met the senior officers of the corps. We met Commander Hange, I thought they were rather unique. They seemed obsessed with learning about titans. That is all they spoke about was titans and their experiments with the titans. And as they continued to speak, that is when I noticed him. Hange introduced him as Captain Levi. I had heard of Levi before joining the scouts, I heard of his accomplishments and being hailed as ‘humanity’s strongest soldier.’ I noted how quiet and serious he was compared to Commander Hange. He only said things when they needed to be said. He rarely spoke and seemed like he had a cold exterior. But something struck me as different, something that I could see but others could not about him. I quietly observed him, as Commander Hange continued to go on about titans. I was not paying attention in the least. But as I continued studying his face, eventually he returned my gaze. I quickly looked away and could feel the heat in my face rising. But it was too late.  
‘Oi, brat.’ Captain Levi barked at me.  
‘Yesss…sir?” I managed to stutter out.  
“What’s your name?” he asked.  
‘Lllleexxii Sayyyers’ I replied. I quickly gave a salute, but as I did, I also managed to trip over my own feet. I began to fall forward. I put my hands out ready for the impact of the ground, but before I hit the ground, I felt someone grab onto the collar of my jacket. I looked up and realized it was Commander Hange that had stopped my fall.   
“Levi, are you done intimidating the new recruits?”   
“Tch, its not my fault she tripped over her own damn feet. Be more careful…” And with that Captain Levi turned and left. I just stared after him, not sure how to react. I looked at Commander Hange and they just smiled.  
“Don’t worry about Captain Levi, he means well. Now we were discussing titans…”   
As the memory faded away, I felt a light nudging on my boot. I chuckled a little, thinking it must be Annabelle searching for more apples.   
‘Annabelle, stop, there is no more apples,” I groggily said.   
‘Oi brat, get up.’ I heard a very familiar voice say. I quickly opened my eyes, and it took me a minute to register who it was. As I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, I realized it Captain Levi, standing right above me.


	3. Just a Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is Lexi dreaming or is this reality?

I was dreaming, I had to be. There was no way this was really happening. Levi was not standing above me just a mere several hours after the ‘incident.’ It hurt too much to think about, my heart ached. I did not want to think about it. So, I pushed the memories to the back of my mind and closed my eyes again.  
‘Mm, go away…’ I mumbled. ‘I’m trying to sleep…go away dream Levi…’  
‘Tch brat. Slacking off on the job? Well get up idiot. This is not a dream.’ Levi said as he continued kicking my boot.   
Damn this dream Levi sure is persistent. I thought to myself. I still did not get up, I just rolled over on my side.  
‘Woah! What is happening?!’ I exclaimed to out loud. I realized that I was no longer on the ground and my world had turned upside down. My long dark brown hair was suddenly in my eyes. I parted my hair to see my surroundings. That is when it hit me, that Levi had picked me up as if I had weighed nothing.   
‘Eeep! Put me down!’ I squeaked, my face starting to turn red. I started squirming ins his grasp, beating my fists on his shoulder. He said nothing but continued carrying me. I was beginning to become irritated at the situation.   
‘Captain, please put me down!’ I implored  
Levi sighed. ‘I thought I told you to call me Levi.’ I stopped squirming and went silent. Did he really want me to call him that after what happened?   
‘Is that a problem?’ Levi asked quietly. I remained silent; I was not sure how to answer this. Was he not going to acknowledge what had happened between us? Was he just going to pretend it had not happened? I shook my head silently. I did not want to think about how I was feeling. How my heart still ached from being rejected. Yet here he was, him carrying me over his shoulder like a child. Eventually, my thoughts were interrupted when I realized we had stopped. Levi finally put me down, and I looked up to get my bearings. Wait a minute, this was…. this was Levi’s room! I gulped and my palms started sweating. What were we doing here?   
‘Um Captain…I mean Levi…sir…what are we doing here? …’ I asked meekly.  
Levi looked at me with those grey eyes of his that I loved. I was told to come find you. But first I need to change my clothes. Tsk, they are filthy. Disgusting.’   
I nodded my head slowly. I looked around in awe. I never expected to be in the captain’s room! I noticed everything was neat and tidy as always. I expected nothing less from the captain, the way he made sure everyone cleaned everything properly. There was a fire going in the fireplace and it made the room feel nice and cozy. There were books stacked neatly on a side table and a big comfy looking chair next to it. In the corner there was his bed. It was neatly made and looked like it had fresh linens on it. Close to the bed was a pail of water and a mirror. I still could not quite believe where I was. I was in Captain Levi’s room! Wait…I WAS IN HIS ROOM!! I must be dreaming.   
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Levi undressing. My cheeks flushed bright red. He was changing out of his shirt; I could see his well-defined muscles. This man was beautiful.   
‘Lexi, something wrong? You’re staring at me.’ Levi said quietly.  
I felt my cheeks grow even warmer. Levi just studied me with his grey eyes. I could not read him as usual. It was hard to know what he was thinking most of the time.  
‘It is nnnootthing.’ I stammered out.  
‘Well close your mouth, you look like an idiot. And you smell like horse shit. Over there is a bucket of water and a bar of soap. Go clean yourself up.’   
‘Yes sir.’ I quickly went over to where the bucket was and took of my jacket. I rolled up my sleeves and silently washed my arms. There was a mirror in front of me, I could Levi’s reflection in it. He seemed so stoic; I saw him quietly put on a new shirt. I sighed. It really seemed he did not want to talk about the other day. I looked up again and found myself looking at him longer then I should’ve. Levi was staring back at me. I quickly diverted my eyes and finished washing up. I turned around to see Levi sitting on his bed, still watching me.   
‘We should talk about what happened.’ He said quietly.   
My palms started sweating, and my heart started aching again. He had remembered. I wiped my palms on my pants. I looked at him trying to discern how he was feeling. As usual he was unreadable.  
‘Oi brat, quit staring and sit.’ Levi barked.  
‘Yes captain.’ I said quietly. I quickly walked over to where he was sitting and sat next beside him. My pulse was racing, despite being rejected, my body still reacted like this. I stared down at the palms of my hands wanting to be anywhere but here.   
‘Lexi…’ his voice was gentler. He seemed a little more tired. I looked in his eyes and noticed the pronounced darkness underneath him. It seems he hardly gets any sleep. Without thinking I gently touched his face and cupped his cheek in my hand. He did not stop me. He placed his hand on top of mine and drew me in closer.   
Shit what is happening? What was I doing? I thought to myself. But before I could stop myself, I pressed my lips gently to his. He did not stop me. His lips were warm, and the kiss was tender. I gasped and realized what I had done. I pulled myself away from him. I quickly got up and started to leave. But before I could I felt a hand grab mine. I looked down and saw Levi looking at me.  
‘Lexi don’t leave. We need to talk about all this.’ Levi said quietly. I shook my head, as tears began to form in my eyes. I was so flustered and upset with what I had done. I shook my head again and furiously wiped my eyes trying to stop the tears from falling. But it was to no avail. I quickly turned on my heel and headed for the door, but before I could take a step further, I ran into something. Something hard and solid, I looked up and realized it was Levi.   
‘You’re not going anywhere until we talk brat.’ Levi said irritated. He grabbed me by the shoulders and pushed me back down in my seat. I gave up in trying to get away. Levi moved to sit back on his bed. I looked up at him, still feeling embarrassed by the whole situation. How I wished this were a dream.   
‘Lexi, the way I feel about you…I have never felt this way about anyone. I have always tried to keep my emotions out of everything I do…I’ve lost too many people in my life…’ Levi looked at the fire as if trying to gather his thoughts. He seemed nervous. I had never seen the captain like this before. I searched his face for any hint of confusion, and I could see none this time. Levi ran his hand through his hair and crossed his arms. Before I could comprehend what Levi was saying, I felt his lips on mine. This time he had initiated it. His lips were hot and tender. His kiss was fierce. I was confused and my lips were frozen against his. But not for long, I returned the kiss, I wrapped my arms around his neck. He seemed so sure this time. No words were necessary. Levi easily picked me up, I wrapped my legs around his waist. He carried me to his bed and gently laid me down. His lips moved from my mouth to my neck, he gently placed kisses along my neck. I let out a low moan, and he chuckled lightly.   
This cannot be happening. It just could not be. Surely this was a dream. It had to be a dream. Everything that happened up until now was not real. It was the only explanation of what was happening right now. It was a dream, just a dream, or was it? 

‘


	4. Heicho's birthday ( a one shot)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In honor Levi's birthday ( I know its a month late) I wrote a one shot. Lexi and the others are in charge of putting together a party for Heicho, can they pull it off?

I stared at the new fallen snow on the ground, I could see my breath in the cold air. I rubbed my hands together to try and get some warmth through my fingertips. The weather had been dreary for the past few days. All missions had been halted due to the snow, so we had been at headquarters for several weeks now. I gazed at the scenery going over what had to be done today when suddenly, I felt something cold and wet hit my cheek. I looked up to see… no one. I scanned my surroundings trying to figure out what could have hit me. I did not see anything or anyone nearby. I shrugged my shoulders and continued my trek down to the mess hall, when I felt another object hit the back of my head. I quickly whipped around and there was the culprit.

‘Iris!’ I yelled. I heard a giggle and I turned around to see her blond hair glimmering in the sunlight. I quickly started packing snow to make my own snowball and retaliated. She stopped laughing as the snowball hit her in the face. She looked at me with surprise in her eyes and her smile quickly returned to her face. I could not help but smile myself, her smile was contagious. I quickly bent over to pack another snowball, but before I could finish, I felt a force push me to the ground. I looked up to see Iris, laughing and grabbing her sides. I began to laugh too. Iris was such a fun person to be around, she had become my best friend since our days in the training corps. She offered me a hand up.

‘I’m glad I found you,’ Iris said breathlessly.

‘What’s up?’ I asked curious.

‘Well Commander Hange wanted to see us. Something about Captain Levi’s birthday coming up…’

‘Cappptaaiiinnn…. Leeevvviii’ssss bbbbiiirrrtthddayyy?’ I stuttered out. I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks.

‘Lex, are you ok? You are blushing. Ohh…that.’ Iris grinned teasingly.

‘ Stop… Iris…’ I mumbled turning more red.

‘Well, what are you going to get for the Captain?’ Iris asked. ‘I mean it is HIS birthday afterall…’

‘I hadn’t thought about… I did not realize it was so soon.’ I bowed my head feeling embarrassed that I did not know the Captain’s birthday.

‘Well, what does he like?’ Iris asked.

‘I know he likes black tea and collects tea leaves.’ I replied.

‘Let us see about getting permission to go to the city to get him a gift then! C’mon let’s go see the Commander!’ Iris said as she tugged on my arm. And so, we trekked back to headquarters and headed to the Commander’s office. When we arrived there the door was closed. We stopped in front of it and we could hear muffled talking. Iris softly knocked on the door.

‘Come in!’ We heard a voice answer.

We walked in the office there was Commander Hange with rest of Levi Squad. Eren, Armin, Mikasa, Jean, Sasha, and Connie. They stared at us in surprise, and we stared back.

‘Lexi, Iris, come in!’ Said Hange. I looked around at the rest of the group. Armin and Eren both smiled friendly smiles at us, Mikasa just stared blankly. Rest of the squad just looked at us curiously.

‘What are they doing here Commander? They aren’t part of Levi squad.’ Jean asked impatiently.

‘Yeah, they aren’t part of our squad,’ Connie chimed in.

I could feel the blush slowly rising to my cheeks again. What were we doing there? I wondered.

‘They’re here on my behalf because they have also assisted Captain Levi as per his request. They were also in the top 10 of their training corp group.’ Hange replied smiling at us. ‘Come in, sit.’

Iris walked in and grabbed my hand. I silently was dragged in behind her. Iris sat next to Eren and I sat next to Armin. I shyly glanced up at him and Armin just smiled back.

‘We’re glad to have you.’ Armin said kindly.

‘Thank you.’ I replied quietly.

‘Now, as some of you may or may not know Captain Levi’s birthday is coming up. I’ve called you here for this meeting today so that we can plan a small get together for him.’

‘Um Commander Hange, I don’t think that’s a good idea.’ Eren interjected.

‘Hm? Why not?’ Hanged asked surprised.

‘Its just that the captain doesn’t really like parties.’ Replied Eren.

‘It is not a party; it is a small gathering. It is different.’ Hange argued. ‘So Eren, Mikasa and Armin, I’m putting you in charge of getting Captain Levi to the location. Sasha, Connie, and Jean, I am putting you in charge of food. And Iris and Lexi, you will be coming with me to town to gather decorations for Captain Levi’ Hange looked around at everyone smiling.

‘Commander…I really don’t think this is a good idea…’ Eren mumbled.

‘Oh come on, Shorty needs some fun in his life. And your assignments are an order.’

‘So, we have permission to raid the food wares?’ Asked Sasha.

‘Yes, you have my permission to raid the food wares.’ Hange replied looking bemused.

‘Meat here I come!’ Sasha yelled and ran out the door.

‘Hold up potato girl! You can’t eat all the meat before the party!’ Jean yelled and ran after Sasha.

‘You guys wait for me!’ Connie said and ran after them. Hange laughed at the sight of them. Armin, Mikasa and Eren all stood up as well.

‘We’d better think of a plan to get the captain to the party.’ Armin said.

‘Well, you’re the best at coming up with strategies.’ Eren grinned and knocked Armin on the shoulder. Mikasa followed along quietly, smiling slightly. As the rest left out the door, I looked at Hange and they smiled at me. 

‘Let us go ladies!’ Hange said and pushed us out the door. We prepared the horses, and we were on our way to town.

As we entered town, there was much more hustle and bustle then on a typical day. People were preparing for the holiday season, decorations being put up, all sort of food smells. I looked around in awe at everything. Everyone seemed so cheerful this day, I was greeted everywhere I went. Normally there was a bit of a cold attitude towards the scouts but today was different. We were greeted by many people; it was a nice change of attitude. I walked around taking in all the sights and smells.

_I wonder what sort of tea I should get for Captain Levi…I wonder what type he likes…_ I thought to myself.

“Lexi? Lexi? LEXI? Are you ok?’ Iris asked in a concerned voice. I realized I had been lost in thought again and I realized my name was being said. I looked at Iris.

‘Yeah, sorry I’m fine, was just wondering what all we should get for Captain Levi’s party.’ I replied.

‘Let us go look around! Wait a minute where is Commander Hange?’ Iris asked out loud. We both looked around and did not see them.

‘I guess they went into a shop, you go on ahead Iris and find the Commander, I have a stop I need to make.’ I spoke.

‘You sure you’ll be fine on your own? I do not want you getting lost like last time.’

I blushed bright red. The last time we came to town I had gotten lost and needed help from Iris finding my way back. Iris just chuckled her melodic laugh.

‘I’m kidding Lex, calm down. We’ll meet back here in say an hour?’

I nodded my head and waved at Iris, as she headed the opposite direction. If I recalled correctly there was a small tea shop around here, run by a sweet older lady. They had all kinds of tea, surely, I could find something the Captain would like. I walked around in search of the tea shop and eventually I found it. I could smell all the different variations of tea and it smelled wonderful. I walked into the shop and saw rows upon rows of different teas. I looked around in awe and could not believe so many types of tea existed. As my eyes wandered, they fell upon a little old lady behind the counter.

‘Come in dear, come in. Don’t be shy!’ she remarked. I walked upto the counter slowly and then I realized I had no idea what type of tea the Captain liked…

‘What can I help you with my dear?’ The little old said politely.

‘Well, I’m looking for a gift…’ I mumbled.

‘What’s that? I cannot hear you dear. These old ears are not what they used to be. So speak louder.’

‘I am looking for a gift.’ I said a little louder.

‘What’s that? I still cannot hear you!’ The old lady replied.

‘ I said I am looking for a gift!’ I said louder.

‘Oh a gift? Well, you are in the right place. And who is this tea for? For a friend? For a lover perhaps?’ The old lady said and gave me a small wink. I could feel my cheeks growing warm. I could not imagine the Captain being my ‘lover,’ I covered my cheeks with my hands. The old lady chuckled.

‘Do not be embarrassed young lady. A lovely little thing such as yourself surely has many young gentlemen coming after you. When I was your age, I had my fair share of young lads coming after me.’ She smiled at me. ‘Surely there is a special someone you have in mind?’

I felt myself blushing more. I shook my head quickly and grabbed my long brown ponytail and began fiddling with it out of nervousness.

‘No, no there is no one.’ I said quietly. The old woman looked at me with incredulity not believing my words and frowning slightly.

‘Well, whatever you say young lady. Now what type of tea are you looking for? I have some lovely oolong tea I just got in. We also have chai tea, green tea, jasmine tea. So, what will it be?’ the shopkeeper inquired. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed because I had no idea there was so many types of tea. I did not know what to pick nor did I know what the Captain liked to drink. But wait, I recalled a recent memory. I remembered overhearing a conversation between Commander Hange and Captain Levi about beverage choices.

_I prefer black tea, with no additives. Adding sugar or milk to the tea makes it lose its flavor and is too sweet._ I remember the Captain saying.

‘Do you have any black tea?’ I asked the old woman.

‘Of course, I have black tea. What type would you like?’ The old woman asked. I looked at her with wide eyes. I had not realized there was different types of black tea too. I had no idea what type of black tea to get.

‘What would you recommend?’ I asked the shopkeeper.

‘Well, we have some lovely black jasmine tea I just got in this morning.’ The woman wandered to the back and came back with a short ladder. She slowly climbed up the ladder to retrieve the tea. She slowly climbed back down. I heard the ring of the clock tower and realized an hour was closing in. The shop keeper handed me the tea. I turned it over in my hand searching for a tea leaf, and I found one. I lightly sniffed it and it smelled heavenly. I hoped that Captain Levi would like it.

‘Thank you, ma’am. How much do I owe you?’ I asked.

The old woman smiled and shook her head. ‘It’s on the house. Just don’t forget to give it to that someone special.’ She said and winked at me. I guess the woman could see through my lie after all. I returned the smile and quickly left the shop. I headed to the center of the market and looked around trying to find some sign of the Commander or Iris.

‘Lexi! Lexi over here!’ I heard my name being called. I turned around and spotted Iris and Commander Hange. Iris was waving at me and Commander Hange was smiling at me. They both had their hands full of bags of items. I could see shiny and sparkly items gleaming in the sunlight.

‘Let us go Lexi! It’s almost time for the party!’ Hange said. I quickly walked to where they were, and we went to find where our horses had been stabled. We put the bags on the saddles and mounted up. Then we were off, heading back to headquarters. We arrived back at headquarters just in time before the party.

Iris and I took our horses and Commander Hange’s horse and put them in the stable. Iris get looking at me inquisitively. I glanced at her back.

‘What Iris?’ I asked quietly. ‘Is there something bothering you?’

‘I was just wondering where you went while we were in town is all. You just disappeared. The Commander nor I could find you for a while.’

‘Ah that…’ _It figures she would notice._ I thought to myself. ‘ I was just catching up with an old friend.’ I lied.

Iris looked into my eyes as if searching for something. ‘Lex, you really are a bad liar. I’ve known you for 4 years now and can always tell when you are not telling the truth.’

I sighed. Of course she knew I was lying. I could not put anything passed Iris.

‘No really I was seeing an old friend.’ I repeated and smiled tentatively. Iris continued staring at me and then shook her head.

‘Alright, if you do not want to tell me what you really doing that’s fine. It’s not my business anyway…’Iris mumbled under her breath sounding slightly hurt. I walked over to her and gave her a slight squeeze on the shoulder. ‘Let us go get ready for this party.’ I said trying to cheer her up. It seemed to do the trick. She grinned widely.

‘I’ll race you back to the barracks!’ She said and before I could react, she had taken off running.

‘Hey that’s not fair! You got a head start!’ I shouted at her and took off running myself. Iris looked behind her and stuck her tongue out at me. I just laughed. We arrived at our room and quickly began to wash up. We only had so much time left before the party started and we were dirty and sweaty. _No time for a bath._ I thought disappointed. I went over to where my mirror was and grabbed my brush. I started brushing through the tangles out of my hair, wincing slightly at the pain at the pull of the hairbrush. I sighed. This was hopeless. I looked back in the mirror feeling slightly defeated due to how messy and full of tangles my hair was. When I saw in the reflection of the mirror a petite face glancing back at me. I looked up and saw of course Iris. She was glowing and looked lovely. She had on a white button-down shirt, a long brown skirt on and a blue sweater on over her white shirt. She had let her light blond hair down and her blue eyes were sparkling with excitement.

She sighed. ‘Honestly, Lex, you’re hopeless when it comes to these types of affairs.’ She grabbed my hair brush out of my hand and gently began brushing through my mess of a hair. I grimaced slightly in pain from the pulling of the hairbrush. Iris put the hair brush down momentarily and went to the bucket of water nearby, she dampened the bristles with water and then began brushing my hair again. She looked at me in my reflection and smiled.

‘You’re missing something. Let me see here.’ Iris pulled out a pink ribbon from her sweater pocket, she swiftly tied the ribbon in my hair.

‘There, now to find the perfect outfit.’ Iris said.

‘Iris I do not really have anything formal.’ I said slightly embarrassed.

‘That’s where you are wrong. See when you were off on your own little adventure today, I found the cutest little dress shop.’ Iris grinned and pulled out a black dress. I gasped.

‘Iris, you should not have bought this! This must have cost a fortune! I cannot accept this. It’s too much.’ I said in disbelief.

‘Lexi, you’re my best friend. Please wear it for me?’ Iris implored slightly puckering her lips and looking at me with her big blue eyes. I sighed. She was doing _that face._ I could not say no.

‘For you…’ I relented.

‘Yay!’ She exclaimed and quickly handed me the dress. ‘Now hurry and put it on. It is almost time for the party.’ Iris left the room, so I could get dressed. I sighed again and held up the dress against me. It really was a pretty dress. I quickly took off my casual clothes and washed my arms in the wash basin. I also washed my face. I quickly put on the dress when there was a knock at the door.

‘Hey Lexi! Come on! It is time to go!’ Iris said at the door. She looked in on me and mouth opened slightly. ‘Lexi, you look absolutely beautiful.’

‘You really think so?’ I asked.

‘Absolutely. Now let us go enjoy the party.’

‘I’ll catch up, you go on ahead. ‘I said. Iris looked at me questioningly and I motioned for her to just go. She shrugged her shoulders and headed off in the direction of where the party was to be. I went back into my room and grabbed the little gift box that was sitting on my desk. I grabbed my red sweater and put it on, and I put the small box in my sweater pocket. My palms were sweaty, and my heart was beating slightly faster. I hoped the Captain would like my gift. I gave one glance around the room and then strode out the door. When I arrived at the mess hall, I could not believe my eyes. The tables were decorated with festive candles and streamers. There was a huge feast prepared at another table. There was meat, potatoes, vegetables of all kinds. Everything smelled hearty and delicious. Iris came to greet me at the door.

‘Come on Lex, we have to finish decorating the cake.’

‘Cake? ‘

‘Yes Sasha, Jean and Connie baked a cake for the Captain.’ Iris replied smiling at me. She grabbed my hand and led me to another table. There it was a small round cake made of chocolate and had red frosting on it that read ‘Happy birthday Captain Levi!’ There was also an array of candles on top of it. I helped Iris add some more swirls and flowers to the cake. I looked down at the finished product and smiled. It looked lovely. Suddenly, I could feel something moist and slimy on my cheek. I wiped my cheek where I felt it and looked at my hand to see red. I looked up to see Iris bent over in hysterics. I quickly grabbed some of the red frosting from the bowl and smeared it on Iris’ nose. We both continued laughing.

‘Hey, you two, quit messing around!’ Jean said as he looked at us with disapproval. We looked up to see Jean, Sasha, and Connie. The Commander was there too. Jean looked annoyed but Sasha and Connie were both laughing. Suddenly, I felt a sudden push behind me and before I knew what was happening my face ended up in the red bowl of icing. I quickly looked up to see the Commander doubled over in hysterics. The whole room was laughing too.

‘Sorry Lexi, I couldn’t help myself. That icing looks good on you!’ Hange wheezed. Next thing I know, I look to see Mikasa, Armin, Eren and Captain Levi standing in the entrance of the mess hall. They were all looking at me trying not to laugh except for the Captain. My face grew even hotter after realizing the situation I was in. I wanted to disappear. I quickly covered my face with my hands and then realized the mistake I had made. I pulled my hands away from my cheeks and looked down at my hands. They were now covered in red too. I felt a gentle pat on my shoulder and turned around to see the Captain.

‘Here.’ He murmured and handed me his handkerchief.

I felt my cheeks grown even hotter as I took it from him. ‘Thhhannkkk youuu.’ I stuttered out.

He nodded and looked around studying the room. ‘So what was the big emergency that I needed to be here shitty four eyes?’ He asked glaring at Hange.

‘Nothing, there is no emergency.’ Hange exclaimed beaming at him. Levi gave Hange another look but before he could say anything, we all said ‘SURPRISE!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAPTAIN!’ Levi looked around the room once more and spoke

‘Hange, you cannot keep your shitting mouth shut, can you?’

‘Nope!’ replied Hange bemused. ‘Let the party begin!’ There were cheers throughout the room as people began to gather around the Captain to wish him happy birthday. I quietly stepped away from the crowd so I could finish cleaning up my hands and face. I glanced at the Captain and was still flushed from earlier. I hated that he saw me that way, yet it did not seem to bother him. I sighed. With all these people around, I did not know how I was going to get my present to him.

‘Lexi come and sit with us.’ I heard someone calling me. I looked around to see it was Armin. He smiled at me and so did Eren who of course was sitting right next to him. And on his other side was Mikasa. She as always had no expression on her face. She was so quiet all the time. Iris was also at the table, so I decided it was ok to go over. I walked over and looked at Iris, she smiled at me and motioned me to sit down. I did so.

‘How did you all convince Captain Levi to come here?’ I asked. Armin, Eren and Mikasa all looked at each other as if sharing a secret. Armin spoke first.

‘Well, we told him it was an emergency and that the Commander needed him to come immediately. But him being the Captain it took a lot of convincing. I still do not think he believed us. But he ended up coming anyway after much persuasion.’ Armin concluded.

‘Yeah the Captain is too smart to fall for such an obvious ruse.’ Chimed in Eren. Mikasa nodded in agreement. I chuckled softly and shared a look with Iris. She also laughed.

‘Yeah, I should kick your ass for that Jaeger.’ A voice said. I looked up to see Captain Levi and Commander Hange as the walked to our table with a plate full of food and cup full of drink. I quickly looked down at my food as my face began to grow hot again. Damn my face for giving me away. I heard a chair slide back and Iris nudged me in the ribs. I looked at her irritated rubbing my ribs when she pointed to my other side. I glanced out of the peripheral of my eyes and saw Levi, putting his plate down next to me. I gulped and my palms begin to start sweating. I could not believe he was here sitting next to me of all people. I wiped my palms on my dress and went back to looking at my food. I could hear Iris sigh next to me. _He is the captain; I am not planning to do anything._ I thought to myself.

I continued to look down at my food and eat in silence while the others chattered around me. I shyly looked up to steal a glance at Levi, he looked handsome tonight. He was dressed in a black suit and his trademark cravat. His hair neatly combed, and his shoes polished. This man was beautiful, and I had loved him secretly for the past four years now. Ever since I had met him. I knew there was more to this man than what he let on. He was a kind and caring individual, even if he never showed it. But I could see him for who he truly was. A soft smile came to my lips as I watched this, in all my 25 years of life, I had never felt this way about a person before. I did not realize how long I had been staring, and I realized he was watching me all the same. I had done it again. I had been lost in thought and had embarrassed myself again. I quickly looked away but could still feel his eyes lingering on me.

The night progressed, people were laughing, talking, and sharing stories. Their bellies full of wholesome food and drink. Their cheeks were rosy with drink, everyone seemed to be having a great time. Time seemed to move quickly and before I knew it the evening was drawing to an ending. I still had to find a way to give the Captain his gift, I drew in a sharp breath, slightly panicking. I had not been able to get him alone, not that I had guts to do it. My thoughts were interrupted by a voice though.

‘Oi brats, thank you for the party but you need to go to bed. It is getting late.’ Levi said and began to move from his chair. Everyone groaned, but someone interjected before Levi could move much further.

‘Wait a minute shorty! The kids worked on this party just for you! You can at least stay for your own birthday cake!’ exclaimed Hange as they grabbed Levi by the shoulders and shoved Levi back into his chair. Everyone looked at Hange in disbelief, no one ever touched Captain Levi.

‘What the hell titan romantic?’ Levi said glaring at Hange. Hange just smiled at him and motioned for Sasha and Connie.

‘Bring in the cake!’ Said Hange. Sasha and Connie bound out of the room in a flash and came back just as quickly as they left. Soon Sasha and Connie reentered with the cake brightly lit up with candles, singing. And everyone soon joined in, including myself.

‘ **Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday Captain Levi!! Happy birthday to you!’**

**‘** Blow out your candles and make a wish Captain!’ Eren exclaimed.

‘Yeah, do it!’ Echoed Connie.

Levi sighed and looked at all the eager faces and proceeded to blow out the candle. Everyone cheered and clapped. And the Captain did something he rarely did, he smiled.

Sasha cut the cake and Connie passed out the pieces and Jean began clearing plates and dishes. Mikasa, Eren and Armin also started helping clean things up. Iris and I helped wash the dishes. Even the Commander and the Captain stayed behind to help clean up. As soon as everything was cleaned up (by the Captain’s standards) people began to leave. I wiped my wet hands on a cloth and then I reached into my pocket to look at the gift box. I sighed. The evening was over, and I had not given Levi his gift. It did not seem that I would be able to this time, maybe next year.

Everyone had left for the barracks and it was just me and Iris left. We quickly finished up and headed out the door. But what we did not realize was that there was still one more person left. The Captain was still there cleaning. We looked at each other and quickly walked back to help, but as we did, the Captain had already closed and locked the door to the mess hall. _Uh oh, we are in trouble._ I thought to myself.

‘Captain, we are so sorry, we did not realize that you were still here otherwise we would have…’ Iris began.

Captain Levi held out his palm to stop her and he shook his head. ‘It is fine. Do not worry about it. Just get to bed.’

‘Yes sir!’ We both said in unison and did our salute and began walking away. But then I remembered the gift. I turned to Iris and said, ‘go on, I’ll catch up.’

Iris looked at me inquisitively and then looked at Levi. She seemed to piece two and two together and gave me a mischievous smile. ‘Good luck.’ She mouthed and began to jog away. I felt my cheeks grow warm for the fiftieth time that night.

‘Um Captain…’ I began.

‘Thought I told you to call me Levi.’ He murmured. ‘You look beautiful tonight by the way.’

I blushed harder. ‘Levi…I have a gift for you…it is nothing special but…I had hoped you might like it.’ I dug into my pocket and pulled out the small box with the tea leaves in it. I held out my hand and Levi took it.

‘A present? For me? No one has ever given me a present before.’ He said quietly. He silently unwrapped the bow and lifted the lid from the box. He studied the tea leaves.

‘Um the old woman at the shop told me it was jasmine…’ I mumbled. I looked down at my feet.

‘It is.’ He confirmed, ‘how did you know I collect tea leaves?’

‘Eren told me by mistake one time…he told me he heard a story once from when you lived in the Underground and beat a man at an arm-wrestling contest. He told me that he heard the man said you could um…have your way with his wife…but chose to take some tea leaves instead…’ I kept looking at my feet and could feel the heat rising to my ears. Levi was quiet for a minute.

‘Well, I am not sure where Eren heard the story from, but it is true. ‘He said quietly. Then silence again. I felt a finger underneath my chin as it was lifted and looked up with wide eyes to see Levi studying my face.

‘Thank you.’ He said gently. ‘That black dress suits you. ‘

‘Thank you…’ I said quietly, my heart hammering in my chest.

‘I have something for you as well.’ Levi said. He put the gift box in his pocket and dug around in it to pull something else out. It was a single red rose; my eyes grew wide in awe. It was beautiful. Levi did something, I was not expecting. He took the rose and gently tucked it behind my ear. He was so close now. I f could feel his hot breath on my cheek. My heart was beating ever faster, and my palms were sweating. Was he aware of the affect he had on me? I gazed into his steely grey eyes.

‘Thank you, Captain,…’ I said breathlessly.

‘I thought I told you to call me Levi,’ He murmured.

‘Happy birthday Levi…’ I said softly. Levi quickly closed the gap, and his lips were on mine. My eyes widened in surprise, I was not expecting this, but I did not stop him. The kiss was soft and tender. His cupped my cheeks gently in his hands. He was so gentle, it felt like he was afraid I was made of glass. My hands were tangled in his hair. His hair was soft and smooth, I tugged gently at his hair, wanting more. But he broke away, and said,

‘Come on, I’ll walk you back to your barracks.’ I nodded still in a daze. He held out his arm and I took it. My face was flushed with excitement, it was not my birthday but today was a special day. We arrived at the barracks too quickly and I was disappointed. We gazed at each other and Levi kissed me once more. This kiss was just as soft and tender as the last but did not last quite as long.

‘Goodnight Lexi,’ He whispered into my ear.

‘Goodnight Levi…’ I murmured. And with that he left. I slowly walked to my room; my face flushed with contentment. I fumbled around for my key but before I could, Iris opened it. She looked me up and down and slowly grinned at me.

‘What kept you?’ She asked teasingly. And then she saw it, the rose in my hair. ‘Oh my god, did that really come from who I think it came from?”

I sighed there was no denying it. I nodded. Iris squealed in excitement.

‘Tell me everything!’ She said excitedly. I shook my head.

‘I do not kiss and tell.’ Iris gasped and covered her mouth. _Oh shit now I’ve done it._ I thought to myself.

‘Now you really have to tell me!’ Iris said.

I shook my head again, ‘Goodnight Iris.’ I said grinning at her. I quickly began to undress into my underwear and took the rose and put it on my nightstand. Iris grumbled.

‘You’re no fun Lex.’

I shrugged. Iris looked at me with one last disappointed stare and sulkily climbed into her bunk. I pulled her blanket up to her chin and kissed her on the cheek. I smiled at her and she tiredly smiled back.

‘Night Lex.’ Iris murmured.

‘Night Iris.’ I replied as I climbed into my own bunk. As soon as I knew that Iris was fast asleep, I quietly got up and went to my nightstand. I grabbed the rose and inhaled it deeply. It smelled so sweet. I quietly crawled back into bed and laid the rose beside me.

_Happy birthday Levi._ I thought one last time before drifting off to sleep.

‘

  


‘


	5. Chapter 4: A Strategy

‘You were staring at her.’ Hange said with a smirk.

‘Tch, was not.’ Replied Levi with a frown. 

‘You were. You care for her.’ Hange replied, still smirking.

‘ I just think that the planning for missions should be left to you and Armin. I just don’t think a brat like her should be in on these meetings.’ Levi replied while taking a sip of his tea.  
He’s changed. He’s different when she’s around. Hange thought to themself. Hange had noted the changes. Levi became clumsier when Lexi was around. He was not his usual cool level headed self. He seemed more protective when it came to her well being. They were not huge changes, they were subtle little ones that were not noticed except for Hange. Only because Hange had worked with Levi and had been friends with their comrade for years now. The commander studied Levi as he continued looking out the window. They smiled to themselves. They could see something blossoming between Levi and Lexi and hoped that the Captain would finally find the love he deserved.  
Levi left his meeting with Hange, thinking about what was discussed for the upcoming mission. The expedition was to take place in two days time and he was not sure that the new recruits were ready. None of them had actually engaged with titans yet.  
‘Tch, should leave them here.’ Levi said to himself as he continued walking. He hoped for no more casualties. Levi was headed to his room/office to change into some more casual clothes so he could join the rest of the troops in their workout. Levi continued on his walk to his room when he saw her. She was smiling and laughing as she was running with her friend. She was always with her friend. What was her friend’s name? Iris, that was right. Levi watched her as she continued on her jog. It was her strategy they were going to try on this new expedition. She was smart, probably one of the smartest in the Survey Corps apart from Hange and Armin. Her skills would be put to the test in two days time. Levi continued watching Lexi for a time and studied her. She was beautiful, with her long dark brown hair and her dark brown eyes. Levi could not deny his feelings for her, it was something he had never felt before.  
Levi reflected on the time that he broke down in front of her. He had never broken down in front of anyone before besides Hange’s predecessor and the man he respected the most. What would Erwin say if Levi confided in him how he was feeling about Lexi? Levi sighed. Lexi had been so kind to him and caring. She seemed to care for Levi as much as Levi cared about her. Could it be? Could she be feeling the same as he was? Levi shook his head. He could not return the feelings as he had told her that night. It was not appropriate for he was her superior. But yet, he felt like he could not stay away from her. He felt almost a magnetic like pull to be near her. Whenever she was around, he felt happier, more at peace.  
Levi continued on his trek back to his room still contemplating his situation. He weighed the outcomes and possibilities of him telling her how he felt. He could not, he just couldn’t. Levi shook his head. What would happen if I did tell her how I felt? Would she feel the same? Or am I just imagining things? What would happen if it got out that we were together? What would Hange say? Levi thought to himself. Levi shrugged out of his coat and slipped off his shirt trading it for a short sleeve short. He untied his boots and took those off before grabbing a change of pants. He unbuckled his dress pants and pulled on some more casual ones. He grabbed his boots and pulled them on once more tying off the laces. He headed back out the door, shutting it behind him. He walked down the now almost empty corridor and headed out the main doors. Once he was outside, he began stretching his tense muscles. Once his muscles were all stretched out he headed to join the rest of the troops in the jogging exercise. Levi stopped for a second when he saw her, Lexi. She was there with her friend Iris, both glistening with sweat. He watched as she took a swig of her water canteen. She was laughing and joking with her friend. Her cheeks were rosy and her eyes were sparkling. Levi quickly looked back towards the trail and continued on his jog.  
Levi did a couple more laps with the group before calling it quits for the day. The expedition was due to leave in just two days. Levi had his doubts about whether it was wise to bring the new recruits on this expedition. They had not yet faced a titan and some of them had not seen one to begin with. They were oblivious to the dangers that the titans could really pose. And then there was the matter of her being at the front of the formation. Lexi had a brilliant mind and should be left in the middle with the others. But Hange specifically asked for her to be up front of the formation with the more veteran soldiers. Levi had objected immediately to this idea. But he did not know why at first and then he realized, he wanted to protect her. This feeling he had been denying for so long was making its presence more known. Levi again pushed away the thought. He headed back to his room for the night. But first he needed a bath.  
Hange continued pouring over the formation plans for the upcoming expedition, They were looking for any gaps or any possible ways a titan could possibly break the formation. Hange put their glasses on top of their head and rubbed their eyes. They were tired, it had been a long day of meetings and planning. Hange was excited about the prospect of capturing another titan for research experiments. Hange got up from their desk and stretched. They looked at the time and it was well past midnight. They started to pick up their papers and put them away and started to dim their oil lamp. Just as they were proceeding to do this, they heard a knock on the door. Hange sighed. They ignored it. Surely whatever it was it could wait till morning. Whoever was at the door knocked again. Hange continued to ignore it. The person at the door began pounding at the door.  
‘Hey shitty four eyes, open up. It’s me.’ said the voice.  
‘Levi?’ Hange replied surprised. What could he possibly want at this hour?  
‘Who else would it be? Open the damn door.’  
‘Alright, alright, come in clean freak.’ Hange opened the door and there stood the captain.  
‘About damned time.’ Levi muttered. Hange smiled at the captain. He looked anxious.  
‘Hey Levi, what can I do for you?’ Hange asked while motioning for Levi to sit down. Levi pulled out the chair and sat down in it, crossing his arms and legs. He looked at Hange with an expression that was hard to read as always.  
‘I am requesting Lexi Sayers be put into my squad for this mission,’ Levi replied.  
‘Why’s that Levi?’ Hange inquired, smirking.  
‘What are you smirking at four eyes? And do you really need to ask? If you don’t know you’re an idiot.’ Levi replied tersely. ‘ So can she be in my squad or what?’  
‘Permission granted captain. But you will have to be the one to tell her.’  
Levi paused for a moment and uncrossed his arms and then crossed them again. ‘Why do I need to tell the brat?’ Levi asked.  
‘You’re the one requesting her, so you’re the one that gets to tell her.’ Hange replied matter of factly. Levi gave one last glare at Hange and then proceeded to stand up. ‘Thanks four eyes.’ Levi mumbled before leaving.  
‘Goodnight Levi.’ Hange said, smiling. Levi gave a slight nod before walking out the door. Hange dimmed the oil lamp and put away their papers before heading to their room themselves.  
It was late and most of the troops were to be in bed during this hour but Levi found himself awake which was normal for him. He hardly slept, getting maybe 2-3 hours of sleep each night. And he preferred the comfort of his chair rather than his bed. Levi found himself in front of Lexi’s room. He was not even aware where his feet had carried him. He lightly knocked on the door. No answer. He knocked again. Still no answer. Levi sighed, realizing the time and that maybe this was a bad idea. He knocked one last time and heard a stirring from the room.  
‘Nnnnhh coming…’ said a sleepy voice. And there she was holding a candle, Levi could barely see her face in the darkness except by the faint glow of the candle. Her hair was messy and dishevelled. She was wearing nothing but a white nightgown. Levi found himself tongue tied and lost for words. She looked adorable. Lexi looked up and realization quickly came to her face. Her cheeks started to grow red from embarrassment realizing that she was in nothing but her nightgown.  
‘Um...Cappttaiinn...Leevvviii... how can I help you?’ Lexi asked quickly, running a hand through her messy hair, the candle in her other hand slightly shaking.  
Levi sighed. No matter how many times he had asked her she still kept calling him Captain Levi instead of just Levi. Levi cleared his throat and quietly said ‘You’re now on my squad for this mission brat. I expect the best out of you and for you to use that giant brain of yours.’  
Lexi nodded her head in stunned silence. Captain Levi was here outside her door at midnight. She could not believe it. She shyly looked up at him and as always could not read what he was thinking.  
‘Do not let me regret this decision. Own your choices, have no regrets.’ Levi quietly said to her. Lexi nodded her head quickly  
‘Yes sir.’ Lexi replied. Levi grasped her hand that was shaking. He blew out the candle.  
‘Get some sleep. We have a busy day ahead of us. Goodnight Lexi.’  
‘Goodnight Captain.’ Lexi whispered quietly. Levi turned and left back to his quarters. Lexi went back to her bed contemplating what had just transpired.  
The next couple of days went by quickly and before the scouts knew it, it was the dawn of the day of the new mission. Levi began getting his gear ready. Strapping his belts on, making sure his blades were sharpened, also making sure he had enough gas in his canisters. The last thing he did was put on his cravat. He quickly went to gather his horse from the stables and started to gear up his horse. He saw Hange in the lead and their squad next to them. Levi’s squad was also close by. He spotted her from a distance. Her in the standard survey corps gear. This time her friend was not with her due to her being in a different squad. Levi finished saddling up his horse and mounted the horse. He rode out of the stables and trotted to the front next to Hange.  
Levi gazed around and noted the new recruits seemed nervous, but he also saw brave faces. Some of them it was their first time ever on a mission. Levi flicked his gaze towards Lexi, she seemed stoic and also anxious. This was her first time being in the more elite squad. Levi felt an overwhelming sense of protection, he wanted to protect this girl, no woman. He still pushed the feeling back and flicked his gaze forward again. The sun was barely starting to rise just on the horizon. Levi looked at Hange and nodded his head. Hange returned the nod.  
‘Let the expedition commence!! Let’s go hunt some titans! Yahoo!’ Shouted Hange with glee and swiftly kicked their horse into gear. Their horse quickly galloped forward. Levi and the rest of the troops quickly proceeded behind them. And they were off on a new mission.  
‘Let's put this new strategy to the test.’ Levi thought to himself as he continued onward.


End file.
